An Angel's Tears
by ShiningAura
Summary: Flamegirl and Kirbopher are hybrids, and are mercilessly shunned for it. When Flamegirl finds and takes in a homeless traumatized hybrid, life starts getting even more complicated. Can Flamegirl and Kirbopher help this boy learn how to trust again? AU. Eventual AlphaxFlamey. ON HAITUS.
1. A Boy in the Rain

**This is an idea that has been swimming in my head for a few days now. I don't know if it will really go anywhere or if it will be any good, but I do know it needs to be written! It's kind of a slice of life type of story but at the same time it isn't. Kinda hard to explain. I guess you could say this would be a bunch of stories which connect to a bigger one. Also this is an AU story based of my ask blog on Tumblr. The video game TOME doesn't exist but the mains have their TOME appearances. All will be explained. (I hope lol) I'm just writing this for fun so updates might be a bit irregular, and this my first shot at something angsty so here's hoping I don't mess it up. :) Enjoy!**

 **I don't own TOME or the characters.**

It's not easy being a hybrid.

More often than not they are shunned and ridiculed. All because they happen to have an unusual skin tone or a set of wings. Hybrids are a relatively new phenomenon, having only started appearing in the last couple of decades. No one knows how it happens because the fathers of the hybrids disappear without explanation shortly before they are born. Hybrids are also extremely rare. Only a handful of occurrences have been recorded. Not only that, they're all hybrids of creatures previously only believed to be myths. Dragons for example. Hybrids also inherit some of the powers of what ever mythical creatures they share DNA with. However they can't do anything fatal with them.

Although people were fascinated by this at first, many people suddenly began to brand these unusual people as "freaks" They would get called terrible names and even attacked on the street. Some shop merchants or ticket sellers even refused to serve hybrids. Which is why a hybrid girl in her late teens was walking down the street in the heavy rain. She was wearing a bright orange coat and was on her way home from a grocery store in the next town about an hour and a half away. She didn't really have much of a choice, as none of the shops here welcomed hybrids. She wasn't having any luck in getting a driving school to accept her either so driving was out of the question at the moment, and last time she took the bus a middle-aged woman threw her eggs at her. She'd rather not go through something like that again so she was stuck with one option; walking.

The teen clutched her grocery bag close to her chest in an in vain attempt to keep the contents dry. The harsh winds threatened to blow the hood of her head and leave her hair exposed. It was hard to believe that the sun was out while she was walking to the far off grocery shop, so you can imagine her surprise and annoyance to find the sky as black as a void upon leaving the shop. It was a good thing she had decided to buy a new coat on the way home or she would've been drenched.

 _Sunny all day my foot!_ She thought bitterly. _Even the weather is against me._

Despite the deplorable weather conditions, there were still a fair few people out. Some with coats, umbrellas or both. Some were even unfortunate enough to be caught off-guard by this sudden storm and were now dashing about with their arms over their heads desperately trying to find shelter. One of them actually bumped into the teen from behind, causing her to drop her grocery bag and spilling the contents. The offender continued on with no offer to help or even an apology.

The girl growled in annoyance.

"Great, what else can go wrong today?" she grumbled as she began picking up her now soaking wet groceries. She finally got to the apples, which were probably gonna be bruised now, when she noticed that one was missing. She clearly remembered counting out five apples and she could only see four. She glanced down an alleyway right next to her.

"Must've rolled down there." she said to herself. At first she was just gonna leave it and make do with four apples, not wanting to spend anymore time in the rain than she absolutely had to. That is until she heard a sound. The girl figured it was just a rat, but something was telling her otherwise. Woman's intuition had never failed her before, so she decided it wouldn't hurt to have a quick look.

The alleyway was long and narrow. Discarded cardboard boxes, empty glass bottles and other rubbish littered the pathway. As she got closer to the end she heard a munching sound.

 _So it was a rat_ thought the teen _Or some sort of animal at least._

Deciding to at least find out what it was so that her curiosity would leave her alone, she continued on to the very end and was shocked at what she saw. It wasn't a rat, but she was almost wishing it was. Right in front of her was a teenage boy, barely her age, sitting cross legged with his back to her eating what she assumed was her missing apple. He had bright red hair that went past his waist. It was also mattered and sticking out all over the place. He was wrapped in some beige linen which did nothing to protect him from the elements. The speechless girl could only stare at this poor boy. Was he homeless? What happened to him? Then she noticed something even more shocking. Poking out from the linen was a white, fluffy...tail.

The girl blinked a few times in case her eyes were playing tricks on her, but it was definitely there. This boy was a hybrid just like her. She slowly moved closer but accidentally kicked a glass bottle. The boy flinched, dropping the half-eaten apple. He turned around and his eyes widened at the sight of the girl. His linen wrapping slipped off him revealing something heartbreaking. The girl covered her mouth in shock, feeling like she was going to be sick at any moment. The boy only had a thin grey sleeveless top, if you could call it that. About half of it was torn off, exposing most of his abdomen. He had thin light brown trousers in the same condition. On leg was longer than the other and looked very tatty. Then there were his shoes. No, they couldn't possibly be called shoes. They were just planks of wood tied to his bare feet with rope. They didn't even cover his feet entirely.

He looked a bit thin, but not dangerously, thank goodness. The poor boy also looked very pale and judging from the bags under his blue eyes, he hasn't had a decent night's sleep in days. The boy's arms, legs and what she could see of his abdomen were covered in scars. Some old, some fresh. There were some particular scars on his abdomen that seemed to spell something. An F then an R, an E, then an A, the rest was hidden under what remained of his top, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what the last letter was. The girl felt her blood boil. How could anyone be so cruel!? So heartless!? She then saw that the teenage boy had a pair of white angel wings. Did that mean he was half angel? Who knew that was possible? Then again she talks to a half dragon via Skype, so maybe it wasn't so far-fetched.

The girl couldn't stand this a moment longer. She approached the boy, but the moment she stepped forward, the boy quickly bum shuffled away from her as if she was going to bite him. This surprised the teen girl. Was he scared of her? What in the world had this poor boy been through?

"Hey, relax." she said in her most gentle voice. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

But the boy didn't seem to believe her and continued to back away as she got closer, until his back hit the brick wall behind him.

"It's alright." said the girl coming closer to him. Then the boy seemed to panic and wave his arm out in front of her. The girl then found her self hit with a jet of water causing her to fall backwards.

"Ouch, that hurt." the girl complained. Though to be fair it was only falling on her backside that hurt. The water was just an annoyance, and she was already soaking wet anyway so what difference did it make? She looked back at the boy who was now breathing heavily and looked ready to attack again if need be. The girl looked into his eyes. She saw no signs of hostility, only fear. The poor boy was utterly petrified.

 _I can't just leave him out here though._ She thought sadly. _He could catch pneumonia, or worse._ The boy already looked well on the way to getting sick, so she had to think of a way to calm him down. Then it hit her. She felt stupid for not coming up with this sooner. She knelt down until she was at eye level with the boy.

"Hey, It's okay." she said gently, removing her coat and exposing her black bat-like wings. "See? I'm just like you."

The boy's eyes widened slightly and after a moment seemed to calm down a little. However he still wouldn't move away from the brick wall.

"I promise I won't hurt you." said the girl. "I want to help that's all. I can't just leave you out here in the rain. My place isn't too far from here. You can stay with me for tonight. Somewhere nice and warm. Wouldn't you like that?"

Neither teen moved for awhile until finally the boy shakily got to his feet, not taking his wary gaze off the girl. His legs were wobbling a bit but he seemed to manage to gain his balance. He then stood there seemingly waiting for the girl to lead him wherever.

The girl smiled and pointed out of the alleyway.

"Alright, it's this way. I'm Stephanie, by the way. What's your name?"

The boy just stared at her with distrustful eyes, not saying a word.

"Alright you don't have to tell me right now." said Stephanie. "Let's just concentrate on getting out of this rain."

Stephanie wanted to put her coat over him, but when she tried he backed away from her. Stephanie felt sad for him. He seemed willing to follow her, but still wouldn't let her near him. They were now walking down the street towards Stephanie's apartment. They got a mixture of odd and disgusted stares along the way. Stephanie being used to this, ignored them, though the boy, who kept a considerable distance between himself and Stephanie, seemed rather uncomfortable. Then all of a sudden his foot slipped causing him to fall on the pavement.

"Are you alright?!" cried Stephanie as she rushed up to help.

However the boy quickly got to his feet and backed away from Stephanie.

Stephanie could see that the boy had grazed his knees from that fall. Those would need tending to later. If she could get close enough to him anyway. She sighed sadly. She had a feeling this might happen. Those sorry excuses for shoes definitely had to go.

"Well you seem okay. Let's keep going then." she said with a smile.

After a few minutes they made it to Stephanie's apartment. It was a pretty old building covered in graffiti. The windows were filthy and certainly haven't been cleaned in some time. Inside wasn't much better. The plain wallpaper was peeling and the green carpet had no end of stains on it and there was very little light.

"It's not much, but it's better than being out there right?" said Stephanie with a laugh, but the boy just stared at his feet.

The duo took the stairs to the forth floor. The lift hadn't been working since Stephanie first arrived. Once she finally reached her door she unlocked it and invited the boy inside.

The teen boy however, stepped back, seemingly having second thoughts about this. Before Stephanie could reassure him that everything was okay, there was a sudden thunderclap. The boy yelped in fright and darted inside.

 _Great now it's thundering too._ Stephanie thought as she went into the apartment herself and shut the door. The boy was in the middle of the living area looking around. There was an olive green sofa and armchair which looked really old. On the other side of the room was one of those box TVs that by now were ancient. There was a very thin green carpet not unlike the one in the hallway. There was no wallpaper just a plain plaster covered wall.

Thanks to the weather it was also pretty dark, so Stephanie switched the light on. The boy yelped once more as the room suddenly brightened up.

"Whoa, relax. They're just lights." Said Stephanie with mild amusement.

The boy took one look at her then walked to a corner of the living area and sat down. Stephanie looked at him, puzzled.

"Wouldn't you be more comfortable on the sofa?" she asked.

The boy didn't say anything he just sat there hugging his legs and keeping his blue eyes on her. Stephanie sighed sadly. Whatever this teen has been through, it left him utterly terrified of any human contact. Stephanie took off her dripping coat and placed it on a drying rack. She was wearing an orange tank top and mustard yellow jeans. She then went into her bathroom, grabbed a towel and headed back to the living room.

"Here, at least get yourself dry." she said placing the towel next to the teen. He stared at it for a few seconds before cautiously picking it up and wrapped it around himself. Stephanie sat on the sofa, watching the boy play with a bit of loose carpet. Where the heck did he come from? What could have happened that traumatized him so much? Well that didn't matter right now. For now she just wanted to help this poor boy and get him back to 100 per cent.

 _I think I'm gonna need a little help with this one._ Thought Stephanie as she got up and headed for the kitchen. She needed to make a phone call.

 **Let's leave things there for now. Hope you're enjoying this so far. I know it's super different from the show's original concept, but I just couldn't help writing it. lol**


	2. No Popcorn Tonight

**Chapter 2?...Chapter 2.**

 **I Do NOT own TOME or it's characters!**

 _Pop pop pop..._

A short half-imp was leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, listening to the popcorn popping away in the microwave. He had an icy blue skin tone and dark brown hair that covered his red eyes. He wore a dark blue turtle neck and light blue trousers that looked like they had seen better days. Being as short as he was, it wasn't easy to find clothes his size, so he had to make the majority of his clothes himself. That wasn't the problem however. The problem was he was no good at it, so his clothes often came out in a bit of a patch work mess. He also wore a sock-like hat the same colour as his trousers made for him by a friend for Christmas last year. Since then he rarely took it off. Friends were hard to get when you were a hybrid. Though to be fair his friend was a hybrid too.

 _Bing!_

"Well, it's about time." muttered the half imp as the microwave announced that his popcorn was ready to be eaten. He open the door and carefully pulled the hot bag out. Popcorn was a rare luxury for him. He can't always afford it with the meager income he's on. He actually doesn't have a job, that's boarder-line impossible for a hybrid to accomplish. Not to say he didn't try. He tried countless times but he didn't get as much as a call back. He was sure that the second they found out he was a hybrid, his application forms went straight into the bin. His income came solely from a special agency which are fighting for equal rights for hybrids. They managed to get him a flat and get some money sent to his account each month, but the agency has little support so the amount of money they could send to hybrids varied. The half imp was quite determined however and gave up the few other luxuries he had for the past month to get popcorn and have a movie night with a close friend.

Just as he placed the popcorn into a large bowl his cell phone rang. The half imp placed the now empty popcorn bag into the bin and picked up his cell phone. He smiled when he saw who was calling and promptly accepted the call.

"Hey, Flamey, what's up?"

He heard an amused giggle from the other end.

" _You know, it's actually kind of amusing that we still call each other by our nicknames we gave each other. We came up with them when you were like, 10?"_

"Hey I can start calling you Stephanie if you want." said the half imp gleefully.

" _No, I'm good. I can't imagine not calling you kirbopher anymore."_ Stephanie said teasingly.

"Ha ha. If I recall, you started calling me that because I reminded you of Kirby. Real original Flamey." said Kirbopher, with slight annoyance.

" _Says the guy who started calling me Flamegirl because I can shoot flames from my fingers."_ said Flamegirl with a giggle.

Kirbopher just sighed.

"So are you coming over for movie night, or is all this popcorn gonna go to waste?" he asked with a smirk.

There was silence for a few seconds before he heard a sigh.

" _I'm so sorry Kirb, I don't think I can make it. Something...came up."_

Puzzlement etched Kirbopher's face. Since when was Flamey too busy to have a movie night? Especially since they didn't happen often.

"What came up that could possibly be more important than a rare chance to watch movies with a friend?" he asked, pretending to be hurt by such an injustice.

" _Trust me Kirb, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."_ he heard Flamegirl say seriously.

Kirbopher just smirked again.

"Try me, I like a challenge." he said.

The line went silent again for a moment before Flamegirl spoke up again.

" _I found another hybrid."_

It was now Kirbopher's turn to go silent. He just stood there staring at the wall for what seemed like an eternity. It wasn't until Flamegirl asked if he was still there, did he finally snap out of it.

"Are...are you sure?" he asked, his voice shaking.

" _Yep, I'm positive."_ said Flamegirl with certainty. She then proceeded to tell Kirbopher about how she found the lost hybrid and how she bought the terrified boy back to her apartment. Kirbopher just listened, not daring to interrupt. Once she had finished her story he sighed and said,

"I'll be over in a few minutes. Sit tight okay?"

Not giving Flamegirl a chance to respond he hung up and placed his cell phone into his trouser pocket. He glanced at the bowel of popcorn on the counter.

 _So much for movie night._ he thought sadly before sighing and chucking the whole lot into the bin. Then he grabbed his key and left his flat, locking it behind him. It was still raining buckets but Kirbopher hardly cared and Flamegirl only lived down the street from him anyway. Once he reached her apartment room he knocked on the door.

"Flamey, it's me! Open up!" he called.

He only had to wait a few seconds before Flamegirl opened the door.

"You didn't have to come right now Kirb. It's coming down in sheets out there." she said with a hint of amusement. Kirbopher just shrugged.

"Well now that movie night is officially out, I had nothing better to do."

Flamegirl smiled and let him inside. Kirbopher took of his hat briefly to wring out the rain water.

"So where is the poor wee lamb?" he asked in a mockingly sweet voice.

Flamegirl rolled her eyes and pointed to the corner of the room.

"Over there. He hasn't moved since we got here.

Kirbopher glanced in the corner and his eyes widened. There was indeed a teenage boy curled up into a ball, fast asleep. There was a blanket draped over him, presumably placed there by Flamegirl.

Jesus, you weren't kidding." he said, still trying to get over the shock.

"I know, and believe me, you do NOT want to see what's under the blanket." said Flamegirl sadly.

"Yeah, I think I'll take your word for it this time." said Kirbopher with a hint of sadness in his own voice. "So, he was just there, all by himself?"

Flamegirl nodded.

"I didn't see anyone anyway."

Kirbopher let out a sigh and glanced at the dozing teen.

"So what's the plan?"

Flamegirl shrugged.

"Well, he's staying the night here. After that, who knows?" she looked at her feet thoughtfully.

Kirbopher gave her a concerned look.

"I think I know what you're thinking Flamey, bad idea. You're barely getting by on what the Hybrid Agency can give you as it is."

"I know that!" exclaimed Flamegirl, flinching at how loudly that came out. Thankfully though, the teen boy continued to slumber as if nothing happened.

"I...I'm just worried. I don't want to send him back into the gutter again. He just looked so cold and helpless. I'm more than happy to give up a few luxuries if it means he'll have somewhere safe to stay."

"Flamey, I don't know if you've noticed, but you barely have any luxuries to give up in the first place!" said Kirbopher annoyance now evident in his voice.

"So are you telling me, that tomorrow I should just kick him out and leave him to his own luck?!" Flamegirl snapped sharply.

"I'm saying we should be realistic about this!" Kirbopher snapped right back. "We should call the Hybrid Agency or something. I'm sure they'll find him a place to stay."

"I can't just send him off with some stranger." cried Flamegirl.

"Well, Newsflash Flamey; you're a stranger too!" Kirbopher very nearly shouted, but luckily also remembered that there was a sleeping hybrid in the same room.

Flamegirl sighed irritably.

"We'll only wake him if we keep arguing about this. We'll worry about what to do later, okay?"

Kirbopher sighed, but nodded.

"Okay."

A gigantic scream suddenly filled the room making both hybrids jump. Kirbopher's eyes shot to the previously sleeping hybrid now screaming and pushing himself furtherer into his corner. Flamegirl was at his side in an instant.

"Hey, hey, it's alright, you're okay." she soothed, but the moment she got close to him the boy crawled away from her to the other side of the room, his blanket falling off of him. Kirbopher could only stare in shock when he saw the numerous scars that littered his arms and legs. He could also see that one of his wings seemed...disfigured. The half imp felt his heart ache for the poor boy but refused to show it. He had his pride to think about.

"So has the kid got a name or what?" He asked Flamegirl, his eyes not leaving the teen hybrid.

Flamegirl sighed sadly.

"I'm sure he does, but he hasn't spoken once."

Kirbopher smirked cheekily.

"Well if he won't tell us then I guess we'll have to give him one."

Flamegirl gave Kirbopher an odd look.

"He's not a dog Kirb!"

"Well we can't just keep calling him Kid, can we?" retorted Kirbopher.

"I guess not." sighed Flamegirl. "So what do you suggest?"

Kirbopher shrugged.

"Don't look at me, I'm no good at names. If someone asked me to name a black dog, the best I'd come up with is Blackie or something unoriginal like that."

"That explains my nickname." said Flamegirl, smirking.

"Hilarious." said Kirbopher sarcastically. He glanced at the teen who was eyeing them both.

"Hmm maybe a video game will calm him down. I thought about working on one, but with the income I get I'd be lucky to get it passed the alpha stage." Kirbopher then got an idea. "Hey, Alpha, that doesn't sound half bad. What do you think Flamey?"

"I think you're finally losing it." teased Flamegirl.

Kirbopher rolled his eyes and glanced back at the teen.

"Aha! I saw that smile!" he cried with triumph when he saw the beginnings of a smile on the boy's lips.

"Alright that's settled. Alpha it is." said Kirbopher with finality.

The teen, now known as Alpha just looked at his feet. That's when Kirbopher finally noticed his less-than-ideal footwear.

"What the hell is he wearing?!" he asked Flamegirl.

Flamegirl sighed sadly.

"I don't know. He was wearing them when I found him. Thinking about it I should get them off."

She tried to get close to him but Alpha who had no way of escaping since Flamegirl was approaching from one way, and Kirbopher standing in another, panicked and waved his arm. Flamegirl barely dodge the jet of water.

"Whoa! Hey, what's you're deal?! Kirbopher yelled.

"No Kirb, it's alright!" cried Flamegirl. "He's just scared, that's all."

Kirbopher looked at Flamegirl then at Alpha, who indeed looked very scared. He was trembling and his breathing was escalating.

"So what do we do about it?" he asked.

Flamegirl began approaching Alpha again but much more slowly, holding her hands up.

"Just relax, I'm not gonna hurt you." she said gently, kneeling down. "I want to help you. Those things on your feet can't be very comfortable. Let's get them off. I'm sure you'll feel much better afterwards."

Alpha didn't move an inch. He kept his wary eyes on Flamegirl not letting his guard down.

"I promise I'm not trying to trick you." she said sadly. "Having to wear those must really hurt. I can take the pain away, if you'll let me."

Kirbopher watched in astonishment as Flamegirl got close enough to untie the rope around Alpha's feet. Alpha still seemed apprehensive but didn't make a move to stop her. Flamegirl appeared to be having difficulty, but eventually managed to remove the first makeshift shoe. Kirbopher grimaced when he saw that the part of his foot that was under the rope had been rubbed raw. It was even starting to bleed.

"Ouch." he muttered. "I'm amazed he was even able to walk."

"Kirb, could you get the First Aid kit from the bathroom?" asked Flamegirl, looking deeply disturbed also.

"Sure, no problem." said Kirbopher giving Alpha a quick sympathetic look before doing what was asked of him.

He entered the bathroom and let out a sigh. He definitely didn't think something like this was gonna happen. All he wanted to do was relax and have a movie night with Flamegirl, but that certainly wasn't gonna happen tonight. He opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out the First Aid kit.

 _What in the world happened to make this guy so terrified of...everything_ he thought sadly.

Kirbopher had no idea what happened to Alpha but he sure as hell was gonna find out. He went back in the living area and saw that Flamegirl had somehow managed to convince Alpha to sit on the sofa. Kirbopher gave Flamegirl the First Aid Kit.

"Here you go."

Flamegirl smiled and gladly accepted it.

"Thanks Kirb."

Kirbopher stepped back and watched Flamegirl open the box and try to coax Alpha into letting her treat his feet.

Alpha was hesitant at first but eventually relented.

"This will sting a little." warned Flamegirl before spraying disinfectant onto the Hybrid's foot, causing him to hiss in pain. Soon enough Flamegirl had both feet bandaged up. She even managed to get some band aids onto his grazed knees.

"There. That should feel better." she said with a smile.

Kirbopher let out an impressed whistle.

"You're good."

Flamegirl smirked.

"I know."

Suddenly a loud thunder clap sounded. The loudest one they heard tonight and the lights flickered and shut off. Alpha let out a scream, clearly startled.

"Hey, You're alright. Everything's okay." soothed Flamegirl. She then got up and tried to turn the lights back on, but to no avail.

"Terrific" she sighed.

Kirbopher looked out of the window.

"Oh man. Looks like it's effected the whole town." he groaned.

"Well might as well turn in early then." said Flamegirl. "I was gonna make some soup, but I can't do that without a working stove."

"Mind if I stay the night?" asked Kirbopher. "I don't fancy going out there after that. Not that I'm scared or anything." he quickly added.

Flamegirl chuckled.

"I don't see why not."

So Kirbopher got as comfortable as he could in an old armchair wrapped up in a blanket Flamegirl loaned him and watched her place a blanket over the now sleeping Alpha.

"Well tomorrow should be interesting huh?" he asked mirthfully.

Flamegirl rolled her eyes but nodded all the same.

"I should think so."

T.B.C


	3. Day One

**Chappie 3! Bring on the feels!**

 **I do NOT own TOME or it's characters!**

The rain had thankfully stopped and made way for the warm sun by morning. Flamegirl was standing in front of her mirror brushing her hair. She let out a big yawn. She didn't sleep well last night. Her mind kept drifting back to Alpha, no matter what she did. Flamegirl put down her hairbrush and went to her living room. Alpha was still sound asleep on her sofa, but Kirbopher was nowhere to be seen. Flamegirl checked the kitchen and saw the half imp sitting on one of the chairs by the table. He seemed to be totally engrossed in something on his cellphone.

"You're up early." she said quietly so that she wouldn't wake the teen in the next room.

Kirbopher looked up and shrugged.

"To be honest, I hardly slept."

"That makes two of us." said Flamegirl with a small smile. "Has the power come back on yet?"

"Looks like it, I have internet access on my phone again anyway"

Flamegirl sighed and nodded and opened the refrigerator.

"Oh no, I forgot to buy milk!" she cried. "Looks like it's dry cereal and OJ for breakfast then." She took a carton of orange juice out of the refrigerator. Then she opened her cupboard and pulled out some Rice Krispies. It wasn't long before she had made breakfast for herself and Kirbopher. Alpha's was left on the counter for when he wakes up.

"What in the world has you so fixated on your cell phone this morning?" asked Flamegirl as she put the bowl of milkless cereal and glass of orange juice in front of him.

Kirbopher looked at her sadly.

"I've been doing some research. I think I've found out something about your guest."

Flamegirl felt her heart skip a beat.

"So...are you gonna tell me what you found out?" she asked nervously.

Kirbopher sighed and gave her his cellphone.

"You're not gonna like it." he warned seriously.

Flamegirl looked at the article that Kirbopher had on his cellphone and her eyes widened. This article was almost a decade old. How Kirbopher was able to find it was beyond her. The article was about an incident almost nine years ago. It involved a mother and a hybrid child who looked around eight or nine. Some gangsters had ambushed them while they were out on a shopping trip. The mother was shot dead right in front of her child. Then one of the gangsters grabbed the child and threw him into their getaway truck then drove away. Witnesses had said that it all happened in the space of a minute. Flamegirl was appalled by this. Then when she saw the picture, her heart stopped. It was a picture of the mother and child. The mother looked fairly young and had wavy light brown hair, but her features didn't really register into Flamegirl's head as she was too busy looking at the child. He had red hair blue eyes and behind him were white wings and a fluffy tail.

"Is...is that...?" she tried to ask but couldn't finish.

"Yup, I'm pretty sure" said Kirbopher solemnly. "Nobody knew anything about the kid. Not even his name. The police didn't really put much effort into finding him either. No prizes in guessing why. Poor guy must've just recently escaped. It would explain how nervous he is."

Flamegirl felt sick. She put down the cell phone and sat on a chair, afraid that if she stayed standing for much longer she'd pass out.

"So...all those scars must've been from...Oh my god." she covered her face and sobbed. She heard Kirbopher stand up and felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, he got away didn't he? And we won't let this happen to him again."

Flamegirl looked up and managed a smirk.

"I thought you wanted me to let the Hybrid Agency take him in." she said.

"I officially retract that statement." said Kirbopher with a smirk. "I'll just have to help you with the expenses I suppose."

Flamegirl was shocked by this.

"You don't have to."

"I know I don't have to, but I'm going to anyway." said Kirbopher with finality in his voice.

Seeing that her friend wasn't going to take no for an answer, Flamegirl smiled and pulled the half imp in for a hug.

"Thank you Kirb, this means a lot to me."

"Hehe, no prob." said Kirb returning the hug.

Flamegirl soon broke the hug and said.

"Well, anyway there's this charity drive the Hybrid Agency are setting up today. It's not far, literally around the corner. I think I'll go and get Alpha some new clothes. I refuse to let him wear those rags any longer."

Kirbopher smiled and nodded.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Flamegirl then heard movement from in the living room. She looked at the doorway and saw a nervous Alpha peeping in.

"Hey, morning." she greeted sounding as friendly as she could. "I've got your breakfast, I bet you must be starving by now."

Alpha didn't move for a moment, but then limped into the kitchen. Flamegirl felt her heart break. His feet must still be hurting him. It took all of her willpower to not rush up and hug him right then and there. That would've just panicked him. She picked up the bowl of Rice Krispies and glass of orange juice she put aside earlier and placed them on the table.

"here you go, sorry there's no milk." she said sheepishly. Alpha sat at the table and stared at his breakfast with slight suspicion at first but then picked up a handful of Rice Krispies and stuffed them into his mouth.

Flamegirl stifled a giggle. It looked like she would have to reintroduce this teen to table manners. She picked up her handbag and headed for the door.

"I better get going if I'm gonna make it before the good stuff is gone. Kirb, could you keep an eye on him while I'm gone."

"Heh, yeah as if I'd leave him to potentially choke on Snap, Crackle and Pop over there." said Kirbopher snickering at his own joke.

Flamegirl rolled her eyes then glanced at Alpha and for first time realized how filthy he was.

"Oh and could you make sure Alpha gets a shower aswell?"

Kirbopher very nearly choked on his orange juice.

"say what?!"

"Okaaaay. See you later." laughed Flamegirl and went out the door without giving Kirbopher a chance to protest.

Kirbopher watched Flamegirl leave then banged his head on the kitchen table.

"Why me?" he moaned.

The half imp then turned his attention to Alpha who was still gobbling his breakfast as if his life depended on it.

"Jeez slow down, no one's gonna take it away from you." laughed Kirbopher.

Alpha didn't show any signs that he had heard him and just continued to eat. Once he finished he sipped some orange juice, but then grimaced and pushed it away.

"Something wrong?" asked Kirbopher, curious about the teen's actions.

Alpha just made a grossed out face. Understanding, Kirbopher stood up.

"I...er could get you some water, if you'd prefer."

Alpha gave Kirbopher a surprised look but slowly nodded. Kirbopher emptied the rest of the orange juice into the sink, and after rinsing the glass, he filled it with water and gave it to Alpha.

 _Okay he doesn't like orange juice. Noted._ He thought to himself.

Alpha guzzled down his water then put the empty glass aside and just stared at his feet looking unsure. Kirbopher stayed silent for a moment then decided it was best just to get it over with now.

"So...I guess we should do this...shower thing." He gave Alpha a pleading look. "Please tell me you remember how."

Alpha shuffled his bandaged feet and nodded.

 _Oh thank sweet merciful God!_ thought Kirbopher.

He motioned Alpha towards the doorway.

Once they reached the bathroom however. Alpha suddenly let out a whimper and backed away. Kirbopher stared, confused by this behaviour.

"What is it now?"

Alpha just stayed where he was still trembling he looked beyond scared and his breathing escalated.

"Oh man, don't go having a panic attack on me!" cried Kirbopher. "Look, nothing bad will happen to you in there, okay? I swear it. Just get it over and done with quickly."

 _What happened to this guy to make him terrified of bathrooms?_ He thought to himself.

That seemed to ease the young hybrid's apprehensiveness, as he followed Kirbopher into the bathroom.

Kirbopher showed the teen how to switch on the shower then left him to it. He sat on the sofa

and picked up the remote next to him and switched on the TV. He began channel-flipping before finally stopping at one channel which started a rerun of Gravity Falls. After about 10 minutes the bathroom door opened and Alpha slowly came out. He was still wearing his tatty clothes but was definitly cleaner.

"Hey, bet you feel better now huh?" said Kirbopher.

Alpha just looked at his feet, pushing a strand of wet hair out of his eyes. Kirbopher tried to get him to sit on the sofa but Alpha refused to move from the doorway, so he eventually gave up. Half an hour later Flamegirl returned.

Kirbopher waved.

"Hey, any luck on your mission?"

"Yep I managed to get a few things." said Flamegirl "How was your morning?"

"Well I now know that Alpha doesn't like OJ, so that's a thing." joked Kirbopher.

Flamegirl let out a little laugh. "I'll remember that." She walked up to Alpha who was now staring at her.

"In the mean time how about we get you out of those old things." she said gesturing the teen's tatty clothes. "We need to change those bandages on your feet anyway."

Kirbopher smiled and stood up.

"Okay you two do that. I need to nip back to my place. I have a cat to feed."

"Yeah, I've seen how uppity she gets when she's hungry." said Flamegirl with a smirk.

"Trust me, you've seen nothing." said Kirbopher with a shudder. "I won't be long."

Once Kirbopher left, Flamegirl led Alpha into the spare room. This room was completely empty aside from a mattress in the corner. There was no carpet and no wallpaper. There was also a filthy window at the end of the room.

"Here we go" said Flamegirl pulling the clothes out of the bag. "I hope they fit." she added, feeling beyond stupid for forgetting to take clothes sizes into consideration. Alpha hesitated at first but took the the clothes from the teen.

Flamegirl left the room briefly, so that Alpha could change in private. Now, instead of those tatty clothes, Alpha wore a pair of red tracksuit bottoms and an orange t-shirt under a dark red hoodie which had the alpha symbol etched onto it. Flamegirl couldn't believe her luck when she found it. She of course made sure to add holes for his wings and tail. They looked a little big on him, but Alpha didn't seem to mind. The female teen figured it was better than being too small anyway. She had also bought him some dark red high tops but those would have to wait until his feet healed a bit. Once she was done changing his bandages, she gave him some white socks to put on. She then glanced at his still damp hair.

"Hey let's get that hair out of your eyes huh?" she suggested. She quickly went to her own room and grabbed her hairbrush. She was heading back when she heard something odd. It was coming from the spare room where she left Alpha. It sounded like someone was...crying. Flamegirl immediately quickened her pace and looked into the spare room. Alpha was sitting on the mattress right where she left him, but he was now hugging legs and burying his face into his knees. Sounds of sobbing could be heard from his shaking form. Flamegirl ran to his side, letting her hairbrush drop from her hands.

"Hey, what's the matter?" she asked, extremely concerned. Alpha slowly looked up at her. Tears were cascading from his eyes. Flamegirl felt her heart break. What could've gotten him so upset?

"Hey, talk to me. What's wrong?"

Alpha stared for a few seconds then wrapped his arms around Flamegirl and bawled into her shoulder. Flamegirl was taken aback. She had not expected this. This boy, who not even 24 hours ago wouldn't let her near him, was now seeking comfort from her. That was when Kirbopher, who had apparently just returned, looked into the room from the doorway.

"Whoa, what did you do?" he asked with an astonished look on his face.

"Not a clue." said Flamegirl sadly. She began to worry. Was it really something she did? But all she did was show kindness to him, right? Then it hit her. Alpha probably hasn't known a kind gesture in years since the "incident" nine years ago. It must be so overwhelming for him. Flamegirl wrapped her arms around the sobbing hybrid and pulled him closer.

"It's okay, everything will be okay." she whispered. "Nobody is gonna hurt you ever again. I promise."

She then stayed silent just letting Alpha sob his heart out. She rocked him gently and rubbed his back. She could see Kirbopher just watching sadly from the doorway. She felt Alpha's grip tighten then heard a small hoarse voice.

"Thank you."

T.B.C


	4. Nightmares

**And I present to you, chapter 4!**

 **I do NOT own TOME or it's characters!**

Alpha hugged his legs tightly. He was sitting in the corner of an old dusty small room. The floor was made out of concrete and wasn't very comfortable at all. The walls were made of stone and there were no windows, just an old air vent so the room was almost pitch black. The room was really just a small bathroom which consisted of nothing but a toilet and a wash basin. Other than that there was literally nothing in here. The door was always locked, keeping the hybrid from getting out. Alpha couldn't remember the last time he left this room. In fact he was sure that he had never left this room since he was tossed in there, god knows how long ago. He had long since stopped keeping track. Heck it was darn near impossible to keep track of night and day in this windowless room. Complete and utter silence was his only clue as it was often quite noisy during the day.

Alpha pulled his legs closer to his body, shivering. summer was just about done which meant cold weather was on the way. There was no heating in his prison, so winter was unbearable. Alpha wasn't looking forward to it one bit. Then he heard the lock on the door start to jiggle, which only meant one thing.

 _Oh no..._ he thought hopelessly. There was nowhere to hide, so he just stayed in the corner, pressing himself against the wall as tightly as he could. The door opened and a tall middle-aged man came in. He was holding something that Alpha had grown to fear. An old leather belt with small nails hammered into it. The blood stains on the belt showed that it had seen a lot of use.

"So, how is our little freak pet today?" he asked cruelly.

Alpha didn't answer.

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" he bellowed whipping the belt on the concrete floor creating a loud cracking noise that made Alpha jump. "AND I EXPECT AN ANSWER!"

"I...I...I'm...o...okay." Alpha whimpered.

The man let out a cruel laugh.

"That's better." he walked closer to the now terrified hybrid. "When we ask you a question, you answer without hesitation! How many times must we beat that into you before it's finally engraved into your pathetic skull?!"

"I...I...I'm sorry." whimpered Alpha right away not daring to hesitate again.

The man gave him a cruel smile.

"Well, "sorry" isn't gonna cut it." he said. "It never does. I'd have thought you would've learned that by now. Nope, you're gonna have to be punished." He whipped the belt onto the floor again.

Alarms bells rang in Alpha's head as he tried to shuffle away from the looming threat.

"N...n...no...I...I'm sorry...please...I'm sorry!" he cried, knowing all too well what was gonna happen next and was dreading it. The man swiftly grabbed Alpha's left arm.

"What did I just say about that word?" he asked dangerously. He lifted up the spiky belt.

"N...no...don't..." whimpered Alpha, but the man didn't listen and lashed the belt on to his bare arm.

"AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Alpha had bolted up and was now sitting on a mattress in what was clearly not the old wash room he had grown so accustomed to. He was trying to calm his heavy breathing, gripping his left arm when he heard quick footsteps heading towards the room he was in.

"Alpha, you okay?" asked Flamegirl as she came into the room. Another bad dream?"

Alpha hugged his knees staring at the girl in front of him. Then he began to remember the recent events. He wasn't in that horrible room anymore. He had escaped. Then this girl found him and bought him home. At first, Alpha didn't dare to believe that she was doing this out of kindness. He thought maybe those guys had asked her to find him and bring him back. However, the more she reassured him, the more he started to think that maybe, just maybe, this was real. He wasn't about to let his guard down yet though. It still felt too good to be true. Alpha stared down at his socks, then remembered that he was now wearing new clothes, which still felt foreign on his skin. He figured that he must've fallen asleep in Flamegirl's arms after his... "breakdown". Flamegirl walked up to him and knelt down.

"Well it's over now" she said with a smile. "I've just finished making supper. Think you'll be up for trying some soup?"

Alpha was confused. The best he ever got to eat were bread rolls, and they were always really stale and sometimes even mouldy, and his captors would always force him to eat every single bite. Stopping for even a second meant a lashing. Not wanting to risk that, Alpha stood up and followed Flamegirl out of the room, flinching with every step. Maybe tying those bits of wood to his feet with rope wasn't such a bright move.

Alpha sat at the kitchen table as Flamegirl put a bowl of tomato soup in front of him.

"See how you do with that, and if you want seconds just let me know." she said with a smile. Alpha stared at the soup, unsure of how to eat it, it's been years since he had something that he couldn't eat with his hands. The rice Krispies he had for breakfast didn't really count as there was no milk for some reason. He decided to subtlely watch Flamegirl and did as she did. The soup tasted like nothing he had in a long time. It was soooo good. He managed to eat about half of it before his stomach said no more. He was afraid Flamegirl would be upset but she just smiled.

"It's alright, you don't have to eat all of it." she reassured, taking the bowl and putting it aside. "This is probably gonna take some getting used to huh?"

Alpha looked down at the table, managing a small nod. That had to be the biggest understatement of the century. For years now, all he'd known was pain and misery. Since he was captured, he had never gone so long without getting a new scar to add to his collection. Alpha looked around the kitchen and noticed something was a little off. He didn't want to risk asking, but curiosity got the better of him.

"Wh...where's the...other one?" he asked in barely a whisper.

Flamegirl turned to him looking surprised. She obviously hadn't expected him to say anything. Then she smiled.

"Oh, you mean Kirb? He's gone back home. He said he'll be back tomorrow though. Hey how about some hot chocolate?"

"O...okay" he said quickly.

Hot chocolate? Wow how long has it been since he had one of those. He loved hot chocolate back before his life went to hell. It wasn't long before Flamegirl had made them both mugs of hot chocolate and handed one to Alpha.

"Careful, it's hot." she warned. Alpha gingerly took the mug. He blew on the liquid and took a sip. Wow, he had forgotten how good chocolate tasted. He couldn't help himself, he started to literally guzzle his drink. He got a little too excited and the mug slipped out of his hands and landed on the table with a clank, the contents spilling everywhere. Alpha immediately jumped out of his seat and backed away in panic. Flamegirl watched him looking confused.

"You okay?"

Alpha backed himself against the wall in the corner of the kitchen, now in full panic mode.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." he whimpered.

Flamegirl stood up and walked towards him. Alpha slid down the wall onto his backside and tried to push his self further into the corner.

"Hey, it's okay, don't worry about it." she reassured reaching her hand out towards him.

"NOOOOOO!" Alpha screamed smacking the hand away and curled himself up tighter into the corner, covering his head with his hands and squeezed his eyes shut.

"I'M SORRY! I WON'T DO IT AGAIN! JUST, PLEASE...don't..." he couldn't finish and was now only able to whimper. He flinched when he felt a hand touch his shoulder and braced himself for the pain, but it didn't come. Instead the hand rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.

"Shhhhh, it's fine. Don't fret about it. It's just some spilt hot chocolate. It's not the end of the world."

Alpha slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Flamegirl. She was giving him a very sweet but concerned smile.

"Are you alright? You didn't burn yourself did you?

Alpha was floored. She wasn't gonna punish him? At all? Not daring to ask about her motives, he shook his head.

"I can make you some more if you want." Flamegirl offered.

Alpha nodded.

He stood up and sat back on his seat still shaking slightly. After Flamegirl cleared up the table, she made Alpha a new mug of hot chocolate.

"Try to go a little easier on this one okay?" she said with amusement.

Alpha took the hot chocolate and much more carefully this time, started drinking it.

 _I don't get it_ he thought to himself. _If I had done that back...back there I would've gotten a lashing of a lifetime._

Alpha finished his hot chocolate then moved the empty mug as far away from him as he could, not wanting another accident. He moved a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"Oh right, We were gonna do something about that hair huh?" said Flamegirl. "Wait here okay. I'll be right back."

Alpha nodded, not daring to move from his chair. He watched Flamegirl leave the room then looked around the kitchen. It was pretty small. It had all the essentials like the refrigerator a stove a sink and a washing machine. Really the only thing missing was a dishwasher.

Flamegirl soon returned with a hairbrush and attempted to brush Alpha's hair. but it was hopelessly mattered and tangled almost everywhere. Not even wetting the hair helped.

"Ow, owwww." he whimpered.

"Oh I'm sorry." said Flamegirl sadly. "This isn't working is it? I think we'll have to cut it off."

Alpha immediately covered his head with his hands.

Flamegirl rubbed his arm.

"Don't worry. It won't hurt. Surely you've had your haircut at least once before." she said with a giggle.

"I...I don't remember." said Alpha. He looked at his feet, feeling very silly. He could feel Flamegirl's sympathetic stare burrowing into him.

"Well don't worry." she said kindly. "It's nothing to be scared of, and I'm sure you'll feel much more comfortable afterwards."

Alpha sighed and nodded. It was rather annoying to have pull his hair out of his eyes all the time. Having a haircut would at least get rid of that problem.

Later, Alpha and Flamegirl were sitting in the living room. Alpha's hair was now much shorter and tidier. Alpha almost didn't recognise himself when Flamegirl showed him his new look in the mirror. His hair stuck up a bit but he didn't mind. He actually kinda liked it like this. Flamegirl had pulled out a board game. Snakes and Ladders, nice and easy. It was the perfect way to unwind after a tiring day. Once Flamegirl reintroduced Alpha to the rules, he got pretty into the game and even won. Alpha let out a huge yawn. Despite his nap earlier, he was now very sleepy.

"Looks like somebody is ready for bed." said Flamegirl with a smirk.

Alpha hugged his legs and shook his head.

"Don't want to." he whimpered.

Flamegirl gave him a curious look.

"Why not?"

Alpha felt himself tremble.

"The...the nightmares will...come back." he sobbed.

Flamegirl gave him a sad smile then put a hand on his shoulder. Alpha flinched slightly, still not used to her gentleness.

"Would you like me to stay with you until you fall asleep?" She asked.

Alpha nodded. So Flamegirl helped him up and guided him back to the spare room. Alpha curled up onto the mattress, too tired to put on the Pjs Flamegirl got for him. He was thankful that she didn't seem to mind. Alpha saw that Flamegirl was about to switch the light off and panicked. If the light went of he would feel like he was back in that room.

"Don't!"

Flamegirl jumped at Alpha's outburst. He hid hid face in his knees.

"I...I don't like the dark." he whimpered.

Flamegirl nodded and went to sit by him.

"Okay, I'll leave it on." she said.

Alpha didn't say anything else. He just layed there letting Flamegirl stroke his arm soothingly. He tried his best to stay awake, still terrified of the nightmares that would surely plague him once he was asleep, but his tiredness eventually won.


	5. Video Games and Pancakes

**Phew! Finally chapter 5!**

"Ouch! Alright, alright cool your tail, Miss High and Mighty!"

Kirbopher had almost dropped the bag of cat food when his cat scratched his foot trying to be noticed. She was obviously very hungry. Kirbopher tipped some kibbles into her bowl and placed it on the ground.

"Here you go, Your Majesty." he grumbled sarcastically, then left the cat to her meal and went to the living room. He put his shoes on and picked up a bag from the corner of the room.

"Oh man, he's gonna love this."

It's been three days now since Flamegirl found Alpha in the ally that rainy evening, and things were progressing...well kinda slow. That's to be expected though. This wasn't going to be an overnight fix. Especially after what that poor guy must've gone through all these years. It was probably going to take weeks, months, even years to sort out. Heck Alpha may NEVER get over it.

 _After what he went through he deserves something that will make him smile._ Kirbopher thought to himself as he left his flat and headed to Flamegirl's apartment. He knocked on the door and waited. The door opened revealing Flamegirl still in her dressing gown.

"Oh hey Kirb, you're early."

Kirbopher shrugged.

"I did say I'll come back early didn't I?"

"Yes, but I didn't think it would be THIS early." said Flamegirl. "I'm actually glad you're here though. Could you watch Alpha while I take a shower?"

"Sure. How is he anyway?" asked Kirbopher.

"Still a bit nervous." said Flamegirl sadly. Then whispered;

"You should've seen him when he spilled some hot chocolate yesterday after you left. He looked at me like I was gonna murder him."

Kirbopher let out a low whistle.

"Wow, that bad huh?"

"Yeah, forget nervous, that poor boy is utterly traumatized." said Flamegirl.

"I can't say I blame him." said Kirb sadly as Flamegirl invited him in. "I mean seeing your own mother killed right in front of you, that would mess anyone up."

Kirbopher followed Flamegirl into the living room and saw Alpha sitting on the sofa.

"Hey dude, how's it going? Woah, what did Flamey do to your hair?"

Alpha just looked at the floor nervously.

"Woah hey I was just kidding!" cried Kirbopher. _Man, don't tell me I screwed up already!_

Flamegirl rolled her eyes and walked up to Alpha.

"I'll be right back okay?" she said kindly then left the room.

Kirbopher and Alpha were now alone.

Kirbopher shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"So...you settling in okay?" he asked hoping against hope that it would spark a conversation, but Alpha merely shrugged. "Okaaay, erm, hey I got you something. I hardly use it anymore so I thought maybe you'd like it."

Kirbopher put the bag down and pulled out a black slightly battered Nintendo Gamecube.

"I'd have gotten you something more recent, but sadly with our income we can't ever hope to afford it." said Kirbopher, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

Alpha's eyes seemed to sparkle briefly as he gazed at the game console. This had to be the first time he laid eyes on one of these puppies in years! He stood and cautiously walked up to the machine and looked like he was about to touch it but then moved his hand away.

"Dude, it's not gonna come alive and bite you." laughed Kirbopher. "Here, I'll show you how to set it up."

Soon enough Kirbopher got the Gamecube hooked up to the TV and was now starting up Super Smash Bros. Melee. After showing Alpha the basics and letting him get used to the controls they started some VS matches. Kirbopher was shocked to find that despite the fact that Alpha was very new to this, he just couldn't seem to win against him.

"How the hell are you so good at this?!" he cried.

Then when Alpha won once again he banged his head against his controller. "Oh god, I've created a monster."

"I...I'm sorry." whimpered Alpha.

Kirbopher looked confused at first but then face-palmed.

 _Aw crap, I said the wrong thing didn't I?_ "Don't apologise, buddy. You did nothing wrong. Just...forget I said anything, okay?"

Alpha seemed a little confused but he nodded and they continued with their game until Flamegirl came back in.

"Wow, Kirb where did you dig up this old fossil?" she asked staring at the Gamecube in amazement.

"I had it since I left the orphanage." said Kirbopher with a smirk. "They said I could take one thing with me and since the other kids rarely used this thing anymore, well..."

"I see." laughed Flamegirl. "So that's where it went. Hey Kirb could I talk to you for a moment?"

"Err, sure. Hey Alpha have a cruise on Classic Mode for a bit. I'll be back"

Kirbopher followed Flamegirl into the kitchen.

"So, what do you want to talk about."

Flamegirl sighed and folded her arms.

"You once told me that you had some connections with other people?"

"You make it sound like I live a double life or something." laughed Kirbopher. "Joking aside, what about it?"

Flamegirl was dashing about trying to get ready. It has been a tough week. Alpha was still having nightmares almost every night. She sighed remembering how his screams would wake her at about two or three in the morning and she would have to sit with him until he eventually went back to sleep. Flamegirl's sleep pattern was pretty disrupted now, but she didn't blame Alpha. He couldn't help it. All she can do for now was be supportive, and hopefully the nightmares will decrease over time.

Right now though, Flamegirl was focusing on something else. She was going to take Alpha out for awhile. His feet were healing well, so she had him try on his new high tops so that he could break them in. This was going to be the first time Alpha left the apartment since he arrived and it was already looking like an impossible task.

"I...I don't want to." whimpered Alpha, as he tried and failed to tie his shoelaces for what had to be the tenth time.

Flamegirl sighed sadly. She wished she could let him stay inside a bit longer but who knew when Kirbopher would be able to make another arrangement. She knelt down and did Alpha's laces for him.

"I know, but we don't really have a choice right now. Some people are coming to...arrange something, and we're only going to be in the way."

"Can't I just stay in my room?" asked Alpha giving Flamegirl a puppy dog eyes look that the female hybrid couldn't help but find adorable.

"They kind of need the whole apartment though." She said sadly.

Flamegirl held Alpha's hand comfortingly. "I promise, nothing is going to happen to you. Just stay close to me and you'll be fine."

Alpha hid his head under his hood, something he started doing whenever he was scared.

"Besides, we still need to buy you a few things, or you're gonna be bored silly." added Flamegirl giggling slightly.

With a bit more coaxing, Flamegirl was able to get Alpha out of the apartment. They were now walking down the streets and as usual received dirty looks from pretty much anyone they walked by. Flamegirl was of course, used to it, but Alpha was shaking like an earthquake. His eyes darted about as if looking for someone.

"Erm Alpha, I know you're scared but you're kinda cutting the circulation to my arm." said Flamegirl.

Alpha had been squeezing her arm as if it were his lifeline. He quickly let go, obviously realising how hard he was gripping it.

"I...I'm sorry!" he cried, looking more scared than ever.

Sensing a panic attack, Flamegirl quickly reassured him.

"No,no, it's fine. It's okay. No harm done."

Alpha stared at Flamegirl for a moment then looked down at his feet.

"Sorry."

After walking a bit more Flamegirl found a cafe which wasn't there before.

"It must've just opened." said Flamegirl with a shrug then saw a sign at the window which made her heart leap.

HYBRIDS WELCOME!

"Finally! Someone with decency!" cried Flamegirl happily.

The female teen looked at Alpha.

"Let's go in. It's almost lunchtime anyway."

Alpha looked unsure but nodded.

The duo went inside the cafe and a young waitress with brown hair and a name tag pinned to her blue and white striped top that read Heather greeted them.

"Good afternoon. Please take a seat. I'll bring you our menus momentarily."

Flamegirl found a place to sit. It took a little coaxing to get Alpha to sit down too. After a couple minutes Heather returned with the menus.

"Here you go. Have a look through and see what you like."

"Thank you." said Flamegirl. "I thought I'd never meet someone as nice to hybrids as you."

Heather blushed slightly.

"Well my dad's the manager and he thinks that how you lot are ultimately treated is, in his words; utterly disgusting. I for one agree with him. You should be treated like any other human being. What's a few extra body parts?"

"Awwww, you're gonna make me cry if you're not careful." laughed Flamegirl, trying to keep it together. "Can't be easy for business though."

Heather shrugged. "Not really, but haters gonna hate right? So what do you two fancy?"

Flamegirl picked out a plate of blueberry pancakes with whipped cream and a large strawberry milkshake. Heather tried asking Alpha what he wanted but he just hid his head under his hood.

"Just get him the same as me." said Flamegirl with a small smile.

Heather nodded and wrote on her notepad.

"Okie dokie."

Soon enough Alpha and Flamegirl each had a generous plate of blueberry pancakes and a tall glass of strawberry milkshake each. Alpha ate all of his pancakes and drank half of his milkshake. Flamegirl was impressed. This was actually the first time he cleared his plate. After the meal Flamegirl went up to the counter to pay while Alpha stayed at the table.

"No offence, but your friend seems really shy." Heather pointed out as she accepted the money and put it in the cash register.

Flamegirl sighed sadly.

"I'm afraid he's been through a lot. I'd rather not talk about it."

"That's fine." said Heather. "None of my business anyhow. Just know that you and...Alpha are welcome here anytime."

Flamegirl smiled.

"We appreciate that, thank you."

With that Flamegirl and Alpha left the cafe and continued on. There were plenty of clothes shops, music shops and more cafes but they had made it very clear that hybrids were not welcome. Flamegirl knew that if they were going to buy anything, they would have to go to the next town. Flamegirl usually just walked of course, but she wasn't sure if Alpha would be able to make the journey. He may have gained strength since she took him in, but he was still a bit wobbly and she didn't want him walking long distances if she could help it. They were going to have to take the bus. After the last incident she was a bit nervous, but she couldn't let it show because that would make Alpha nervous and he was already as terrified as it is.

"Alpha, we are going to need to take the bus now. Will you be okay with that?"

Alpha looked a little shaky at the idea.

"I...I don't know."

"How about we give it a try?" suggested Flamegirl. "If you really don't like it I promise we'll get off, okay?"

As much as Flamegirl wanted to get the shopping done. She wasn't going to make Alpha do something he wasn't comfortable doing. Alpha seemed to be mulling over for a second then nodded.

So Alpha and Flamegirl went to the nearest bus stop. And sat on the bench.

"You promise?" asked Alpha looking at Flamegirl, nervousness clear in his eyes. Flamegirl just smiled and held his hand.

"I promise."

After a few minutes the bus came and stopped in front of them. Flamegirl hesitated at first but when Alpha gave her a concerned look she shook off her fear and stepped onto the bus. After paying for both tickets she took Alpha who was getting a really nasty stare from the bus driver and they sat right at the back. This way if they were going be any more flying produce, she'll know about it. The bus moved on making Alpha jolt slightly as he suddenly gripped Flamegirl's hand. She gladly accepted it and squeezed back. Alpha probably didn't know this but holding his hand was actually a huge comfort for her.

"It's probably been awhile since you've last been on a bus huh?" she said trying to keep her voice steady.

Alpha gave a small nod.

Flamegirl smiled then looked out the window. She watched the other passengers in her peripheral vision. She could feel their glares on them and for the first time in years she felt uncomfortable.

"Err...are you okay?"

Flamegirl jumped, she hadn't expected Alpha to speak first. "You...you were shaking."

"I...I'm fine Alpha. Don't worry about me." she said giving him her sweetest smile.

She went back to looking out the window. Trying to keep the memories of her last bus trip out of her head.

 _I can't wait 'til this is all over._ She thought to her self.

T.B.C


End file.
